Saint Nicholas

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So, we just got back from a trip to Europe.  It was a true challenge giving our health problems, but we wanted to travel while we could.  If you wouldn't mind including me in your prayers I would appreciate it.  My heart is acting up again and I found out because my pacemaker ratted me out to my cardiologist.  He put me on a new medication and I should be fine but it was still kind of scary.  I am enjoying life so much I would like to stick around.  I gained a new respect for people of faith who sacrificed to build such beautiful churches in Europe.  We visited Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Protestant Cathedrals.  As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and a fellow believer in our Savior Jesus Christ, I want you to know that I could appreciate the beauty of these magnificent houses of worship.  As an artist I was also in awe of the artwork ... sculpture, stained glass windows, and paintings... that we saw in these houses of worship.  I also think we all need to recognize the good done by others in the world, whether they are of our faith or not.

So, in honor of it being Christmas: 

On our trip we went to the Italian city of Bari.  THAT is where the REAL Saint Nicholas lived.  He was known for being kind to and helpful to children who were in need.

I heard a story from my cousin yesterday.  She said that Saint Nicholas was from a wealthy family.  When he heard that a poor man was going to sell his daughters into servitude Saint Nicholas found a way to help out.  The night before the eldest daughter was to be sold she washed her stockings and hung them by the fire to dry...thinking that this was her last night in her family's home.  But when she went to get her stockings in the morning she found a bag of gold coins.  Her father used the gold coins to help his situation so his daughter did not need to be sold.  Then, the next morning, his next oldest daughter also found a bag of gold coins in HER stocking.  The father decided to wait up and see who his family's benefactor was.  In the middle of the night he heard a clang as a bag was thrown through the window into his youngest daughter's stocking.  He looked out the window and caught a young man standing there.  The father thanked him but the young man told him that Father Nicholas was the true benefactor who had sent him there with the bags of gold.

Have you ever wondered where the tradition for an orange or some sort of citrus fruit in the toe of the stocking came from?  The orange represents the bag of gold coins in those girl's stockings...put there by order of Saint Nicholas.

I drew Saint Nicholas in two ways.  One is in a plain robe.  Probably more how he dressed while he was doing his good work.  By the way, there is some debate on whether he did that good work in Bari, Italy or Myra, present day Turkey.

Statue of Saint Nicholas in Bari

Saint Nicholas in Plain Robe

Saint Nicholas in Ornate Robe
This is more like the statue.